Blood Matters
by marirable
Summary: In 1590 Philippe de Clermont accepted Diana as his blood daughter, yet the ordeal was kept under wraps for centuries on end, especially from the current head of the de Clermont family. But nothing can remain a secret forever. [ch: Baldwin de Clermont, Verin de Clermont]


"…and then we'll probably get a lease on the new house. Not because we need it, but more for his credit history, you know? Comes in handy sometimes."

"No, yeah, it's a good thought." Baldwin steered the car onto the road that led through the forest. "So, you've decided to settle in Berlin for a while?"

"There's more to do there. We'll probably spend a few more years in the city and then move to the suburbs." There was a pause when Verin looked out the window at the passing trees. "Or just somewhere quieter. Further away, where the family drama can't find us."

Baldwin agreed but couldn't share the sentiment. His younger sister was in the much more enviable position of not being the head of their vampire clan – therefore, she needn't put out fires that were inevitably started by the other members of the family. And she couldn't have been happier for it. Verin and her husband Ernst – a human, which bothered Baldwin at first, but he learned to live with it – stayed away from the de Clermonts' affairs for the better part of the last few decades. Whereas Baldwin himself, upon receiving a message from Ysabeau that Matthew and Diana returned from wherever the hell they were for these last few months, groaned loudly, threw back a couple of glasses of wine, spoke on the phone with his sister, and took a charter flight to Geneva that same evening. He was going to visit Sept-Tours anyway in the following week, but this news moved his trip up. Verin flew to Geneva from Germany (Ernst was going to reunite with her in Clermont-Ferrand), Baldwin took a car, and they headed to Sept-Tours for what was promising to be a very unpleasant family reunion.

"Are they actually mated or are you just taking the piss?"

Verin tapped her fingers on her knee. Baldwin let out a frustrated breath.

"He says they're mated, but the last I saw them, I didn't sense it on them," he replied grimly.

"Why'd he yap about it then? He knows vampires can tell the difference."

"I'd prefer if there was no witch in the picture altogether, you know, but I'll take what I can get at this point."

Verin wrinkled her nose.

"Oh, yes. Could you imagine Atta's reaction if there was a witch in the family?"

"I don't even understand how Ysabeau is accepting this." Baldwin sounded tired. He left one hand on the wheel while putting the other one on the armrest. "With everything that's happened, I'd expect her to be on my side for once."

They drove in silence for some time, with Verin lowering the window and sticking her hand out to enjoy the night wind. Her raven-black hair fluttered slightly, and she breathed in the forest air, enjoying the distinctive smells of wild berries and pines. The trip was going peacefully until an unexpected and long-forgotten feeling came over Verin.

She creased her brow and rubbed her forehead in frustration. Ten minutes later she put two fingers to her temple and started massaging it. When that didn't take, she leaned against the window and tried to let the cold night air work its magic on her sudden headache. Her eyes popped open at a thought, and she snapped her head to look at Baldwin, wincing as it only added to the pain.

"Do you also feel it?" she gritted through her teeth.

Baldwin quickly glanced at her before returning his eyes to the road.

"Feel what?"

"This bloody headache!" Verin exclaimed, pinching the bridge of her nose, breathing through another pang. "It's gotten worse the further we go and it's fucking infuriating since I haven't had a headache in centuries!"

Baldwin frowned. He'd been feeling a nagging at his temple for a while now, but he wrote it off as too much worry and not enough sleep.

"Ah, for Christ's sake", Verin whined and hit the dashboard with her palm. "Stop the car!"

"Why?"

"Just stop it, goddamnit!"

Baldwin drove the car off the side of the road and, as soon as he stopped the engine, Verin got out, took several steps to the front of the car and groaned out loud. Baldwin stepped out of the car and leaned on an opened door. Verin turned around and looked angrily at him.

"Are you seriously not feeling this?"

He scratched the back of his head.

"I kind of hear a continuous ringing in my ears. Do you think the bloody witch is doing it?"

"Oh no. I mean, the witch is definitely involved but this isn't a spell cast on us." Verin shook her finger at her brother, now pacing back and forth in front of the car. "Do you remember the legends? The blood song. When a vampire gives another creature his vow. All vampires hear the song, but those who share the blood of the vow-giver feel it very acutely?"

Baldwin's face went blank. This couldn't be happening. It was impossible. The only way both he and Verin would be hearing a blood song was if it were Philippe who gave it, but…

"Philippe is dead," he retorted.

Verin responded with a mocking expression of "_I wasn't aware of that, please tell me more_". Baldwin ran a hand across his face.

"This must be some sort of trick."

"There's no mistaking it." Verin answered, stepping closer to her brother. "It lines up perfectly with what I've heard about blood vows. I don't know how the witch did it, but the truth is that the closer we get to Sept-Tours – where she is now, I'm sure of it – the stronger it gets. Maybe it's affecting you less because you're older. I don't know."

Baldwin stared to the distance. The first crack of dawn was already visible in the sky. Verin watched her brother's face turn from its usual pale white to almost wine-red from rage. While Baldwin lacked some of Philippe's qualities and was, in some instances, a weaker head of the family, in times like these Verin could see the similarities shining through. It was their stance, their quiet anger, their vigour, and right now Verin shivered at the sight.

"Get in," he muttered. Verin immediately obeyed.

Taking the car back on the road, Baldwin looked in front of him, his eyes slightly narrowed, in part from the rising sun and in part from his growing frustration. Verin kept one hand around her seatbelt and the other on her thigh. When Sept-Tours finally came into view, Baldwin broke the silence.

"How did you figure out it was a blood vow?"

Verin looked at the castle ahead and sighed.

"Just connected the dots, I guess, I don't know," she answered dismissively, rolling the window down once again. She turned away from Sept-Tours and proceeded to look out her window at the passing houses.

All these years Verin kept wishing that she would never be called to make good on _her_ vow.


End file.
